The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1887-02-04
Mice.
Communicated.


Communicated.
This does not seem like heading for
the agricultural columns of the JOURNAL,
yet they are one of the many items that
cross our path as tillers of the soil, that
have an interest to agriculturists and
more especially to the writer as an hor-
ticulturist as we'll as a naturalist.
The past season, seems to have been
from some cause, very prolific of field
mice that are yet swarming in places
that will provide them with shelter and
food.
In our ordinary business we meet
here, three distinct species of mouse
and there may be others more rare.
The one that infests our houses is of
course most familiar, the other two Ihave
never found with nests or perm anent
abode in house, barn or corn crib
They seem to prefer the open air with
such shelter as is offered by a stump,
rail pile, fodder stack or any bunch Of
grass that will give them space to make
nest Both species seem to be exclu-
sively vegetarian In their diet; and their
ordinary food is the seed of common
plants, and when these are not sufficient
they eat stems and roots and especially
the bark from about the base of trees
and bushes of some specs. They are
especially fond of the bark of apple
trees and have girdled many hundreds
for me the past fall and winter, when
ever there was any litter about the
stems to screen them while they were
gnawing the bark as high as they could
reach. The one that is doing this mis-
chief we call ''buck mouse" from his
short tail. He has short legs, not very
swift in his motions, and is as heavy as
half grown rat, SO can do much mis-
chief in short time when he gets into
bed of freshly sown seed that suits his
taste The third one mentioned we call
kangaroo Mousse and in several
respects he resembles that Australian
animal. His hind legs are three times
as long as his front ones, or more so,
and he travels by leaps and is not easy
to catch. He is of a light fawn color
and white underneath, and the female
has pouch in which she carries her
young. l have frequently seen half
dozen little ones hanging to their mother
They are not very plenty at any time,
but are as troublesome as either of the
other species when they find their way
into hot bed or green house.
[ have destroyed them with poison,
but they will not take meat or cheese to
get it. l have found pumpkin seed
and strychnine the best remedy.
The national enemies of these mice
are hawks, owls and foxes, the last es-
pecally that are nocturnal in their
habits Cats can destroy some of them
but do not seem to relish them, and l
believe none Of these beasts or birds of
prey will destroy them for the pleasure
of the killing but only catch what will
satisfy the needs Of their appetite.
I have two cats that play about the
house and noticed one of them with one
of these large chuck" mice the other
udy, WulCIl IL SCClueu W NC CdlI yluS
about to show me and to tease the other
cat with. 1t was not more than half
hour after when the second cat put in
an appearance with one to show me, to
say as plain as cat could, "See 1 have
a mouse" With fresh fallen
snow on the earth | could see the trails
where the cat had walked directly to the
place where the mice were, and when
it had canght one, came directly home
with it from the field more than 100
yards distant.
DR.. Kane in his Arctic voyage men
tions having a tame fox on board that
they used as a rat catcher, but he said
he had just one fault, e. she never
would catch second until he had eaten
his first rat"
The best and most persistent mouse
catcher l ever saw was the Shrike or
Butcher Bird" 1t is about the size
Of "King Bird" or small hawk and
has resemblance to both in its habits.
While hauling in fodder from field
his bird made its appearance and would
'it perched on tree until the last sheaf